Sweet Oblivion
by Simulacra242
Summary: Vices and consequnces.It's midnight at Freiza's base. Do you know where your Saiyan is?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ

A One-Shot which might get turned into something more... we'll see. Please review and feel free to be critical, I can take it!

Chapter 1

There was no 'night' on the dead planet which held Freiza's main base. Nor could one really say there was a 'day'. An eerie, gray light shone down from one of the system's two suns, almost continuously. There were, however, certain hours when most of the soldiers, warriors and faceless computer technicians slept, and the entire base seemed to shut down. This was the only time it could be done.

Vegeta made his way slowly down a nondescript corridor, careful not to make too much noise. If he could just make it to the lift at the end of the hall without being noticed, he would be home free. The Saiyan teenager was abnormally alert; he could feel everything, the coarseness of his cloths, the warm stale air. The soft hum of endless generators and air circulators roared in his ears and he broke out in a cold sweat, starting to shake.

It was getting bad.

"_Just a little farther" _the young warrior told himself, "_just turn the corner, get into the lift and you're there."_

Vegeta quickened his pace as he approached the last stretch of hallway but stopped short as he rounded the corner. A door was open, and not just any door, the door to Freiza's viewing chamber. Vegeta leaned back against the wall and slid down to the floor, feeling suddenly weak. What should he do? He couldn't go back; they were leaving tomorrow, if he didn't do it now he wouldn't have another chance for at least a week, probably more. He couldn't wait that long. He could go outside, take the long way around. But he was late as it was, if he didn't get there soon, he would lose his chance.

Standing up, the prince slowed his breathing and took a cautious first step. His legs moved automatically but froze as they reached the open doorway. Slowly, the prince inched his head closer to the opening. And there he was. Freiza sat lazily in his hover chair, sipping a glass of wine and gazing out of the large domed window.

A voice echoed through Vegeta's head. "_Freiza never sleeps"_

Just another myth he had heard about the tsirijin as a child, but never believed until now. The warrior's mind screamed at him to move on but his legs wouldn't budge. He was transfixed. Staring at the tyrant, Vegeta felt a deep loathing well up inside him. Every wound the changeling had ever given him seemed to ache and unconsciously the saiyan's power level began to rise. He was so preoccupied he almost didn't hear Freiza's calling out.

"Hello Vegeta" Freiza said in an icy voice and then smiled to himself as he heard the boy bolt.

"_Never mind monkey. I'll deal with you tomorrow. Better to let you fret all night about it." _Freiza was nothing, if not patient.

Vegeta collapsed into the elevator and stretched a shaky hand up to press the down button.

"Kuso!" He cursed himself. "I'm dead!"

There would be hell to pay tomorrow, but that didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was reaching his destination.

The downward motion of the elevator was soothing and Vegeta found himself struggling to stay awake. Finally the compartment jolted to a halt and Vegeta stood and walked into a dimly lit cargo bay full of outdated weaponry and dusty computers. He could hear voices emanating from the opposite end of the room and he quickly made his way towards them.

"Oi! Vegeta!" Jeice whispered from behind a gigantic crate, "Took you long enough! And keep quiet I don't want the others to know you're here."

The orange warrior silently motioned and the two of them drifted off into the darkness.

"Do you have it?" Jeice asked extending an open palm.

Vegeta reached into this armor and pulled out a small plastic card containing every credit he had. He was about to drop it into Jeice's hand but stopped.

"Let me see them."

Jeice chuckled. "Ah come on, when have I ever ripped you off, eh? But if you insist…" From his own armor Jeice produced a tiny bottle no bigger than his thumb.

"That's it!"

"Sorry mate, I'm afraid prices have gone up, and they're only going to get higher. Freiza just ordered us to destroy the planet where it's produced. If only he knew the gold mine he was throwing away. But," the warrior shrugged, "there's nothing to be done. If Freiza ever found out I was doing jobs on the side he'd kill me for sure. Especially if he found out I was selling drugs to his 'special project' eh Princeling?"

The bottle and card were exchanged.

Jeice grinned and began to walk towards the light, "I suggest you find a new vice, my friend."

Vegeta heard Jeice speaking to the other members of the Ginyu Force. Slowly the voices began to fade and then disappear, leaving the prince in silence.

"Shit!" was the only thought he could properly form. He stared down at the bottle of capsules. It was probably the last one he would ever see. If what Jeice said was right, prices were about to sky rocket and Vegeta would never be able to afford it on what Freiza gave him, which wasn't much.

For a moment he considered saving them. But the sound of the pills rattling in their bottle as his hand shook was driving him insane and before he knew it he had already swallowed two of them.

The teenager sat in the darkness and waited for the drug to take effect. He sat for what seemed like hours, until finally…

He was back on Vejitasei, training in one of the palace courtyards. His father was yelling at him from a balcony, telling him not to leave his left side so exposed. He could feel his mother's ki moving closer. She was coming to watch him, as she always did in the evenings. There was no Freiza, and there never would be. And for a while he was able to forget that his planet was gone, that his family was dead and that he was the last prince the Saiya-jin would ever have.

As the second capsule dissolved into his blood stream Vejitasei disappeared and the Saiyan was filled with euphoria. A comforting void surrounded him as he was lulled into unconsciousness. Where he dreamt of nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

Vegeta woke the next morning with a hatchet lodged in his skull, or at least that's what it felt like. He moaned and stretched his sore muscles, stiff from sleeping in the awkward position. He was confused about his surroundings until his foot sent a small bottle skidding across the floor. It wasn't until he was in the lift making his way to the surface levels that it hit him.

"_Freiza saw me last night_." He thought grimly. Or was it just another part of the hallucination, he'd had bad trips before. "_Guess I'll find out soon enough_."

As soon as the door opened, the trouble began.

"Oh Geeeetaaa?" the voice was like nails on a chalk board to the already nervous fighter. A slender girl with long black hair and an arm full of papers ran up and grabbed Vegeta's shirt.

"What the fuck do you want?"

"Word around the base is you've got your hands on some capsules." She looked at him cautiously to see his reaction.

"Can I have one?" she purred stroking his arm and sticking out her lip. "Pleeease?"

"Even if I DID have any, the answer would be NO! Now get out of my way…"

In an instant her sweet visage faded and she stamped the ground like a spoiled child. " I KNOW for a FACT Jeice sold you a bottle last night Vegeta. So DON'T lie to me, you know I hate it when you lie to me!"

"I don't have time for this nonsense…" the warrior attempted to escape.

"I'll tell him Vegeta…"

It took every ounce of the teenager's will power to not turn around and blast the whimpering girl.

"…and don't you DARE think I won't. I'll tell him, and he'll believe me AND THEN HE'LL…"

Vegeta clamped a hand over her mouth. "Will you keep your voice down, baka! You're going to get us both in trouble!"

"Vegeta!" she began to shake, partly from fury, but mostly from withdrawal. "Just give me a fucking capsule… I really need one…. NOW!"

"Alright!" he finally relented. "But let's go someplace private…"

"NO! NOW!"

The young warrior quickly glanced down the hall to make sure no one was watching. He pulled the bottle from his armor and placed a single capsule into the girl's palm. Before he had a chance to close the container the pill was already down her throat.

"There," she said with a sigh of relief, "you see how much easier things go you just do exactly what I say?"

"You know," Vegeta hissed, "sooner or later Freiza is going to get tired of you and well, lets both hope I'm away on a mission that day."

"Oh Geta, don't be jealous just because Freiza likes me better than you!"

"You? HA! You're nothing but a highly disposable computer drone."

"I'll have you know I'm the HEAD computer drone. And I'm hardly disposable. I single-handedly maintain this ship's systems. Without me, this place would be chaos. You want to talk about disposable? Let's see I'm one of about a hundred highly trained computer engineers that Freiza employs and one of twenty hackers. Now, how many warriors does Freiza have? About two million on how many different planets?"

Vegeta's bad mood had finally reached it's breaking point. He grabbed Mahlah by the neck and slammed her against the wall. "I maybe more disposable statistically… but I'm a WHOLE lot harder to kill."

"Go ahead, Vegeta" She smiled beneath his grasp, completely unphased. "Snap my little neck. Kill me. Cause we all know Freiza just HATES to beat the shit out of you even if you DON'T give him a reason. Besides, you'd miss me. Who would you fuck?"

Vegeta seethed with pure malice. He knew every word she had spoken was true. Everyone knew that Mahlah was strictly off limits and the Saiyan struggled for a moment trying to decide whether or not it was worth it.

"_I'm in enough trouble as it is_," he thought to himself, roughly releasing the girl.

"Oh and Geta, Freiza told me to tell you that if YOUR ass isn't in HIS throne room within the next five minutes, you and him get to have a little sparring session."

"And just how long ago did he say this?"

"Oh about half an hour ago. I'd run if I were you, he looked pretty pissed off." She answered in a sugary singsong voice.

"Gee, thanks Mahlah." Vegeta spat back as he trudged down the hall. "Stupid bitch…" he mumbled under his breath.

"Are we still on for tonight then?" She asked, absent-mindedly sifting through her papers.

"Why of course" he smirked.

She waved as she walked away and called out from around the corner "I'll be sure to bring the bandages!"

Vegeta walked a few doors down where someone was waiting for him.

"I don't know why you waste your time with her." It was Ketriana, the last person he wanted to deal with. The woman was a few years older than Vegeta. They had both been children under Freiza and were quite fond of each other. Although both were too emotionally devoid for it to ever come to anything. It was different with Mahlah. It wasn't even sex; it was fucking, pure and simple.

"What's it to you?" he answered. '_There are too many damn females on the main base' _

Ketriana shrugged. "Watch out for that one. She's treacherous."

"And you aren't?" Vegeta smirked.

The older warrior smiled back. "I suppose so, but then again I'm not fucking you am I, Vegeta?" She never was one for subtleties. "Anyway, I don't suppose you've seen Jeice around?"

The Saiyan scoffed. "The dance squad left this morning."

"Shimmata! That bastard was supposed to sell me some capsules and cigarettes! I don't suppose you have anything."

"No…" he easily lied.

Just then the door slid open and a boy in his late teens, no older than Vegeta, came striding out. He glared arrogantly at the waiting warriors.

"Well well, look who it is… Ketriana, Vegeta," he nodded to each causing his limp blonde hair to fall into his face, "You'd better get in there quick Geta, Freiza's looking for you. Best to get whatever it is over with now before he has his second vat of wine."

They both smiled. As much as they hated Pika, he could be quite witty on occasion.

Vegeta took a deep breath and walked into the room where Freiza was waiting for him.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own dbz blah blah blah

Thank you to those of you who reviewed, I really appreciate it!

Chapter 3

Vegeta strode into the room as confidently as he could. He mustn't give the impression that he was nervous about anything. Freiza had his back to the door and ignored the warrior's presence until Vegeta finally broke the silence.

"My Lord," he said softly. He tried to keep his cool demeanor but he could sense the Iceijin's irritable mood.

"Let's skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point, shall we?" Freiza stated frankly, finishing the last sip of wine from an ornate glass goblet. Before the prince could blink the cup came speeding towards him and shattered against his armor, the glass imbedding itself into his left shoulder. Suddenly he was up against the wall, the tyrant's tail around his neck. Freiza smiled calmly at the bleeding teenager. "You were sneaking around last night. I won't bother to ask why because I know very well that you will lie to me."

Vegeta felt the pressure on his neck tighten, constricting his airway.

"And quite frankly, I am growing weary of your excuses. At this point I doubt very much that you can feed me an original one."

Vegeta cringed, waiting for the blows to start, but instead found himself being released.

Freiza sighed, "Let us say, for the moment, that I am willing to let it slide. How I do spoil you. Zarbon, would you ask Ketriana to join us?"

"Yes sir," he answered before quickly opening the door. A few moments later Ketriana stood beside Vegeta, glancing only briefly at his bloody shoulder and bruised neck.

"_Well he certainly got off easy today_." She thought absentmindedly.

"I am sending you both to the planet Keit. Pika somehow managed to make himself useful and has befriended Prince Gaphner. His father and I have recently signed an alliance but I doubt his loyalty. The prince is throwing a party which you will all attend. You four are the only ones young enough to look as if you belong. Pika will keep the prince occupied while you two accompany Mahlah to the central computer where she will hack into their mainframe and steal some information."

Vegeta and Ketriana both mentally cursed. They had never been on a mission with Mahlah but could imagine the endless joys that awaited them.

"You will no doubt have to force your way past security. Do whatever you have to do, just get me those files. And make sure Pika doesn't screw things up. I will hold you all responsible for what happens if he does. You are excused."

Zarbon handed them both chips which could be inserted into a scoter, detailing the mission. The warriors bowed and turned to leave.

"Oh and one more thing, Vegeta. If I find out you've picked up any of your old habits…" The tsirijin spoke in an icy tone, "…there will be _serious_ consequences."

Vegeta managed to nod before hurrying out the door.

"What was that about?" Ketriana asked when they were a considerable distance away.

"Don't worry about it." The Saiyan answered, gingerly beginning to pick the shards of glass from his shoulder. Not being one to press, Ketriana sighed and quickly changed the subject.

"Aren't you going to the med ward?"

"No." he stated simply, not being in the mood for conversation.

"Well let's find Pika and Mahlah then. Dammit. This is not going to be fun."

The four of them met briefly in the dinning hall.

"What exactly is in these files?" Pika asked Mahlah.

"That is for me and Freiza to know." She replied snobbishly.

The three of them started back in agitated disbelief.

"I really don't know why he's bothering to send all three of you. I don't even need to get to the central computer. I'm skilled enough that I can do it from a terminal."

"Listen!" Vegeta stood and slammed his hand down on the table. "the only the reason the three of us are going on this mission is to make sure you're pretty little head doesn't end up splattered against a wall. And it would be a real shame if something were to happen while our backs were turned." He shouted with conviction.

"Oh will you two give it a rest!" Ketriana snapped. Mahlah only rolled her eyes and looked away. "Let's just get this over with. We leave first thing tomorrow."

The four of them parted ways. Vegeta went back to his room and tried not to think about the bottle of capsules hidden under his bed. He only lasted about an hour. He counted the remaining pills, calculating how many he would have to hand over to Mahlah to shut her up. He would have to start weaning himself off of them very soon. The withdrawal symptoms would be too much if he tried to go cold turkey, and Freiza would easily figure out what was going on.

Within two days they arrived at their destination. The group stopped at an inn outside the capital city to change into the local dress. The palace was gigantic. Tall, white gates towered over the city, covered in intricate carvings and sculptures. Keit was a wealthy planet, rich in natural resources and rare minerals. The royal family was known for obsessive spending and the local economy had suffered for it, one of the reasons they had given in to Freiza almost without a fight.

Pika was not unknown in the galaxy. He had friends everywhere, in every business and had somehow managed to conceal the fact that he worked for Freiza. This had proved very useful in several situations but unfortunately it had gone to the teenagers head. Pika tended to be sloppy and careless. The others all knew that Freiza would dispose of him as soon as he proved to be more trouble then he was worth. This recent accomplishment, however, had bought him some more time.

Pika got them easily past security and into the main hall where the celebration was taking place. They scouted the room, searching for possible access ports to the computer system. Mahlah managed to locate one with a small handheld device. It wasn't far, but distant enough for them to be out of sight.

"It isn't going to take long is it?" Vegeta asked impatiently

"I don't know why _you're_ complaining! I'm the one doing all the hard labor, you guys are just doing the grunt work." She answered.

Vegeta lunged towards the smirking girl but Ketriana intervened.

"Vegeta I think it would be best if you stayed here for now. You have your mic on, we'll call you if we meet any trouble." The woman grabbed Mahlah by the arm and hurried away, leaving Vegeta to cool down. Pika couldn't help but laugh.

"Shut up!" the prince snapped.

"Will you please relax! Look around you. THIS," he gestured around the extravagant room, "… is called a 'party', Vegeta. This is what normal people do for fun. Now I know it's not exactly blowing the heads off helpless victims but try to enjoy yourself anyway."

Vegeta turned and glared at Pika who grinned back nervously.

"And here," he said shoving a glass of green liquid into the prince's hand, "drink this. It's not a capsule but it'll loosen you up a little. Ketriana and Mahlah are getting the files, I'm going to keep to the prince occupied and all you have to do is sit tight and not look conspicuous."

Before Vegeta could protest Pika disappeared into the crowd. He stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do next. He stared down at the drink and briefly considered drinking it until a voice called out from behind.

"Geta, darling!"

Vegeta's eyes widened and he slowly turned, hoping he was wrong. But there she stood anyway, the only other Iceijin that side of the galaxy. She smirked at the Saiyan, in her fourth form, thick white locks cascading down her back.

"What the hell are YOU doing here?"

"Just making a delivery, and you? I suppose Freiza sent you to check up on the King. That man can be so paranoid… I saw Ketriana." Ilya said sweetly, voiced laced with female rivalry.

"Yeah? Well, it's been great talking to you, bye!" he spat sarcastically and attempted to walk away. He only got a few steps before Ilya materialized in front of him, looking him up and down.

"My, my Vegeta, how time does pass. You're almost a man. I remember when you were just a homesick little boy. You were adorable back then; I remember I once tried to get Freiza to sell you to me. I thought you'd make a nice pet." She smiled sarcastically, walking around the prince to observe him more closely, "But he refused. He's quite attached to you, you know. You're his 'special project', the ONLY successful specimen from that little experiment he conducted all those years ago. I suppose that's why he killed all the other's, except Ketriana and Pika of course, but they just sort of survived accidentally didn't they."

The woman knew just how to get underneath his skin. He grabbed her wrist roughly, stopping her rotation.

"Are you done?"

"Not even close." She whispered as she leaned into his face and yanked her arm free.

"First off, give these to Ketriana." She handed him a small brown parcel. "Second, I have a little proposition for you. I need to be scarce for a while. Someone just placed a rather large bounty on my head and the Hunters are all over my ass. If you agree to make a delivery for me I'll keep a steady supply of capsules coming your way at normal price."

"I thought capsules were over"

"I have a private seller so don't believe everything you hear, especially from a member of the Ginyu Force. Hell, if you do a good job I might be willing to give you a permanent position. I pay in hard cash, not those worthless 'credits' Freiza dowels out."

"Not that I'm saying no but if Freiza finds out we're both dead."

"I am not afraid of Freiza," she stated frankly. "He's made it very clear that as long as my interests don't conflict with his, he'll let me be. And since he would never lower himself to dealing narcotics, I'm safe. So what do you say?"

Vegeta was torn. If it was anyone else he'd immediately agree, it's not like he hadn't done it before. But Ilya was bad news. She was too close to Freiza for starters.

And while she hadn't started the underground market running through the tyrant's base, she had helped it evolved a great deal.

Freiza himself was mostly to blame. He had managed to collect all the most morally corrupt and morally indifferent people in the galaxy and cluster them into one location. It was no surprise then that an intricate black market had formed right under his nose. There wasn't much you couldn't get. But it was a delicate system, always on the verge of collapse. Bribes had to be made to Freiza's spies, whose rates steadily increased. Exchanges could only be made at certain, specific times, in certain specific locations. There were certain things one had to say, certain movements one had to make. Most importantly, all these certain things had to be changed regularly. It was almost ritualistic.

The only thing that kept the fragile structure from caving in was a checks and balances system of leverage. Everyone had dirt on everyone else, if one of them went down, they all went down. All this and the fact that no one was truly dedicated to Freiza or his cause. No one was blindly loyal to Freiza except Zarbon and Dodoria. Even the Ginyu Force could be swayed. And everyone knew Captain Ginyu secretly harbored desires to overthrow Freiza, although he was much too cowardly to ever act on them. As long as the relationship remained profitable he was willing to be a faithful servant.

The problems didn't start until Ilya signed a treaty with Freiza, agreeing to be his eyes and ears in certain sectors. It was she who introduced hard drugs into the system. For years no once could get their hands on them. The occasional bottle of capsules or tabs might be obtained for the right price but large shipments were unheard of. It was too difficult to find someone willing to supply narcotics to anyone associated with Freiza. Ilya was their key into the market. Once the drug lords found out there was profit to be made the drugs flowed from all corners of the galaxy. Prices were low at first and it wasn't long before most of the crew was addicted to something or other. But Freiza was not stupid, and it wasn't long before he caught wind of it. Many crewmembers met mysterious deaths and several key planets were destroyed. It was Ilya's fault Vegeta had gotten caught doing them himself. Prices began to rise until only higher ranking officers could afford them.

"Forget it. Freiza's already suspicious of me. Not to mention you are a lying, backstabbing, deceitful bitch who isn't worthy of my time! " he pushed past her and began stalking away.

"You don't want these then?" she asked holding up a small red bottle. Vegeta turned and stared back at her before quickly snatching the container.

"It's only half full!"

"Yes, you'll get the other half when the job is finished."

Vegeta sighed, as if making a decision.

"This is a one time deal. I'm not your fucking lackey."

"You're right, Freiza's already got dibs on that one." She shot back. "It's quite simple, all you have to do is deliver some tabs to Benzain, you can do it on your way back to Freiza's base."

"I still don't see why he hasn't killed you yet." He scoffed arrogantly.

"Kill me? His own flesh? Ha! I'd like to see him try. His father would have a fit. And the last thing Freiza wants to do is upset 'Daddy'. But that's a story for another day. Have fun!" Ilya exclaimed before making a hasty exit.

"_I'm going to regret this…" _he thought grimly.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry this took so long! Finals have been consuming all my time. And thanks to Vetygas Rath, chichidark, The General of Darkness, ssj-vash, nitara and Akaida-Felinjin for reviewing! I really appreciate it. (Akaida-Felinjin: you'll just have to wait and see! .)

Chapter 4

Vegeta stood silently thinking for a few moments, trying to predict the consequences of what he had just done. He stared at the parcel Ilya had given him. Knowing very well that Ilya could be anything but trusted, he began to rip it open. A voice shouting at him from his mic made him start.

"Vegeta, can you hear me? It's Ketriana."

Before answering the prince walked to a nearby wall and turned away from the crowd.

"I read. What is it?"

"There are too many guards around. I need you to cause some kind of distraction."

"Like what?"

"I don't know! Set something on fire, start a fight, I don't care! Use your imagination!"

Vegeta smirked at a sudden enticing idea.

"With pleasure." He said smoothly, and started off towards Pika.

Pika was getting very well near drunk. He had just taken a shot of some strange liquid Prince Gaphnor had poured for him when Vegeta cairned into his side.

"Geta, what the fuck!" he slurred from the floor. Most of the guests laughed and hurried over, eager for a fight to break out.

"Ketriana needs a distraction, just play along." The teenager whispered as he leaned over Pika, picking him up by the collar.

"You son-of-a-bitch!" Pika screamed, not pretending, and dove at the smirking prince. Vegeta just barley dodged his fist, surprised at the boy's speed. It had been a long time since he and Pika had had a proper match.

The two warriors punched and blocked each other, neither landing any hits. Vegeta, who wasn't taking the fight seriously, was unaware that Pika really _was_ trying. Unaware that is, until he was sent flying into a large marble pillar, his head cracking against it. Vegeta was momentarily dazed from the impact, snapping out of it only to find himself being dragged down a corridor and thrown outside the palace gate where he landed beside a seething Pika.

The teenagers glared at each other, neither flinching as a voice called out to them.

"Good work boys." It was Ketriana over the mic. "We're done here; we'll meet you out front in a moment. Just stay put."

"What's your problem man!" the blonde warrior shouted, picking himself up. "You're such an asshole, I can't believe…"

Suddenly he was back on the ground, blood running into his face, blurring his vision. Rage sobered him a bit and the soldiers charged, exchanging kicks and jabs. They stayed in a powered down state, knowing that releasing too much energy would blow their cover. Pika used a short blast of ki to send Vegeta into a nearby tree. Slamming his forearm against the prince's chest, he pinned Vegeta and began to rip the shirt above his right shoulder.

"Let me see my scar Vegeta. Oh yeah, I fucking love looking at that thing!" Pika sneered sarcastically, staring at the mangled skin, a remnant of their last all-out battle.

Something snapped inside Vegeta and the next thing he knew Ketriana had her arm around his neck attempting to drag him off Pika. He started at his fist which was now red with Pika's blood.

"You idiots are going to get us caught! We're getting the fuck out of here NOW!" she commanded in a voice which was not to be argued with. They traveled as fast as they could, having to carry Pika most of the way, back to the inn.

"Do I even want to know what happened?" Ketriana questioned when they we're safely in their room.

"He's a FUCKING psycho…" Pika slurred, slipping in and out of consciousness

"…you're a fucking psycho, Vegeta. Everyone on base knows it! Freiza's fucking golden boy! That's what they all call you Vegeta."

Ketriana saw Vegeta tense and planted herself firmly between the teenagers.

"He's drunk Vegeta"

"I'm not as drunk as you ..."

"Pika will you _shut up_!" she barked at the boy.

"You think I care what you baka's think." Vegeta replied coolly.

Pika laughed softly, looking as if he were about to pass out again. "I don't think you care Vegeta, I _know_ you care. I _know_ you care that you're known throughout the galaxy as Freiza's little protégé. You try to act like your so cold, so unaffected, so above it all… now who does that remind you of?" He laughed harder this time, running a bloody hand through his hair, leaving a streak of red through the yellow.

In an instant Pika was on the floor, Vegeta's ki-infused fist aimed at his head. Ketriana rushed over and grabbed Vegeta's arm.

"You idiot! Keep your power level down!"

Vegeta shrugged off her grip and stood. He took a step before turning back around and kicking Pika in the head, causing him to finally lose consciousness.

"I am so sick and tired of having to keep you two from killing each other every single mission." Ketriana, who was usually the calmest one of the group stalked over to Vegeta, "Grow up!"

When Vegeta only smirked and shrugged arrogantly the older warrior threw up her hands and hurried out of the room, fed up with the entire situation. For some reason Vegeta followed her outside.

"You know you can really be an inconsiderate prick some times," Ketriana said when she heard Vegeta approaching. She was rummaging through a bag at her waist and pulled out an empty carton.

"Fuck!" she threw the container and started rubbing her temples.

"Here," Vegeta handed her the parcel Ilya had given him. "From Ilya."

She ripped the paper to find a shiny new package of Arcanzian cigarettes.

"Thank the gods." She mumbled and lit one with a small blast of ki from her finger tips. After the first hit she began to calm.

"You two could have ruined the entire operation! Did you even think what would happen if anyone in the vicinity was using a scouter? They do have that technology now you know!"

Vegeta leaned against the wall and stared into the distance, letting her vent.

"You're so fucking careless," she said softly, almost to herself, "and why shouldn't you be. You could lead a fucking rebellion against Freiza and he'd let you live. We don't all have that luxury, Vegeta. And I am not going to be killed because you can't keep your fucking temper in check!"

"I won't be arriving with the rest of you when you return to the base." The warrior quickly changed the subject, not liking where the current conversation was headed. He handed her a small plastic bag containing a few capsules. "I need you to tell Freiza my pod malfunctioned and I had to make an emergency landing. I'll be following in another day."

"He'll never buy it." Ketriana said with a sigh, stuffing the bag into her pocket. "And do I dare ask what you'll really be doing."

"None of your business." Vegeta stated simply, starting to get agitated.

"Tell me, or the deal's off!" she sneered, exhaling smoke.

"I need to talk to Benzain." He finally relented

"What do you want to see that lunatic for? They'll be hell to pay if Freiza finds out you were anywhere near Benzain." She asked stubbing out her cigarette and lighting another. "And a death sentence for the rest of us if he finds out we helped you."

"We have some business." Vegeta stated simply, starting to get agitated.

The older warrior stared at him for a moment. "I don't believe you. You're hiding something. What did you and Ilya talk about anyway…"

"What did YOU and Ilya talk about." Vegeta interrupted, his agitation building.

"Point taken… fine. I'll do it. But you owe me. We'll leave in an hour." Ketriana turned and headed back inside.

Vegeta let out a sigh of relief and then remembered he still didn't know what exactly he was delivering. Ilya had claimed they were tabs, but he wanted to make sure. He took the small package from his jacket and finshed ripping the paper. Inside was a small plastic box, the usual storage container for tabs. He pressed a small latch on the side and the container opened. There were five rows of small white disks in a tray, just as there should be. On impulse he lifted the tray out of the box and smiled. A small storage chip lay under it. He knew it! There was no price on Ilya's head, she just didn't want whatever was on the chip to be traced back to her incase it was intercepted on the way. And she had gotten him to do her dirty work for a measly bottle of capsules. He carefully picked up the chip and dropped it into his boot. What ever was on it was oviously important… maybe even expensive.


	5. Chapter 5

_Once again, sorry for the wait, life has been crazy. Thank you for the reviews and favs! And a special thanks to chichidark whose review gave me the kick in the ass I needed to get the next chapter up.  
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A small, attractive ship steadily made it's way out of a busy space port. It looked extremely out of place next to the ugly, bulky cargo vessels, constructed for purpose rather than aesthetics. It was sleek and gleamed white with a strange purple insignia on the side. Ilya sat at the controls mindlessly tapping information into the computer, softly humming to herself. Her ship gracefully weaved between the slow, awkward freighters until she finally reached open space. The young iceijin yawned and set the ship to autopilot. It had been five days since she had slept, which wasn't unusual for her species, and she was tired. But it was a satisfied exhaustion; everything was going according to plan. Benzain had taken the bait, and very soon, Vegeta would too. And even if he didn't, Pika would certainly coax him into it. Vegeta was young and rebellious, but Pika was young, rebellious and careless, the perfect combination.

Ilya walked into the rear room of her ship and collapsed onto the bed. Yes, her father would be very pleased. She scoffed and stared at the ceiling. There were a few more bribes to make, a few more traps to lay before the plan could be executed, but it was almost over. It had taken years to get this far and she would be glad when it was done.

Her ship was pointed towards Freiza's base. She must be the first one to talk to Vegeta after he speaks with Benzain. Ketriana would certainly talk him out of it. The bitch was so damn practical, and Vegeta listened to her. Ilya sighed, this was turning out to be much more work then she expected, but the payoff would be worth it. She smiled as she thought of it. Her father truly believed she was being the good and loyal daughter, which would make her betrayal all the sweeter. The thought that the entire universe would know that she had fooled the two biggest superpowers the galaxy had ever known accompanied her into sleep.

* * *

_Meanwhile… _

Vegeta hated Dowajain. The tropical planet was always horribly hot and humid, the air almost drinkable. The heat made Vegeta feel light-headed as he levitated out of the crater his ship had made upon landing. A small hut could be seen on the horizon and Vegeta could just make out a figure running out of it. He gripped the small plastic box Ilya had given him and quickly flew over to the tiny house. A young man with short black hair and a long red robe was gazing apprehensively at Vegeta's approaching form. Vegeta landed in front of him and the worried look quickly vanished. It was Yolund, Benzain's mute grandson, he smiled and opened the door, motioning for Vegeta to enter.

"Who is it Yolund?" A small brown man hobbled into the main room, "Ilya is that…" The man gasped and almost dropped his cane. At first all he saw was the tell-tale armor, but when he finally realized who the face belonged to, his shocked silence became a soft chuckle.

"Hello Benzain, it's been a long time." Vegeta said sarcastically.

"Prince Vegeta! This is wonderful! I've been wondering how to contact you! Please come in."

"From Ilya," Vegeta held up the box before tossing it to Yolund who just barely caught it.

Benzain looked suddenly nervous, "Ah…yes, the tabs, they… help with my back pain." Yolund handed the small box to his grandfather, who quickly turned from Vegeta. The Saiyan smirked, he knew Benzain was checking the box for the chip.

Benzain turned back around to see Vegeta with the small clear storage chip held between two fingers.

"Looking for this?" The teenager couldn't help but laugh.

"Vegeta, please! There's information on that chip that could decide the fate of the entire galaxy!"

"What are you blabbering on about," Vegeta let the chip slip down into his fist, "More of your revolution bullshit!"

"Ah, but it is no longer blabbering, it is action! Things are happening Vegeta, plans are coming together, troops are being gathered…"

"All in vain, I assure you."

"It's different this time! We won't make the same mistake twice! What do you remember of the first rebellion?" the old man asked, easing himself into a nearby chair, "you must have been very young."

"I remember that it failed." Vegeta sneered matter-of-factly.

Benzain sighed. "Is there no hope for the youth," he asked himself. A pained look came over his face as he sunk deeper into the chair, his shaky hand reached for the box of tabs. Yolund immediately rushed over to hand him one. Benzain smiled at his grandson, taking the small white disk into his mouth to dissolve. After a moment his vision seemed to clear and his face became serene.

"The first rebellion was very poorly planned. Freiza appeared out of nowhere, we had no idea what we were dealing with. He wasn't the first tyrant the guild had dealt with, we thought we had everything under control." Benzain paused, "We were slaughtered."

"And what makes you think this time will be any different"

"We have a secret weapon! We have Ilya! She's going to help us!"

Vegeta laughed loudly. "You must be joking! Ilya! You actually trust that conniving., money-hungry lowlife."

"I'm not stupid Vegeta, I know very well that Ilya has ulterior motives for wanting Freiza dead, but she _is_ willing to help us. She will be a great asset… you will be a great asset as well."

"Why should _I_ help _you_!" Vegeta crossed his arms and leaned against the door.

"You want Freiza dead more than anybody. I know the hatred you have for the iceijin. Look me in the eyes and tell me that you haven't been training every single day since you were five years old to defeat him."

"I don't need your help to defeat Freiza! When I become the legendary, no one will touch me!" Vegeta spun around and went for the door.

"And how many more will die waiting for that day?"

"You really think I care, don't you?" the Saiyan shook his head in disbelief.

"We _need_ you Vegeta. We're having trouble recruiting people, no one wants to risk defying Freiza, but if they see that _you, _one of Freiza's highest ranking officers is willing to…"

"Forget it! It won't work. You're all already dead." Vegeta threw open the door and stormed out.

"How many more years will you bow to him, Vegeta?"

The Saiyan paused before shooting into the sky, back to his ship, where two capsules eased his mind and accompanied him into sleep.

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_admission time: I have absolutely no idea where I'm going with this..._  



	6. Chapter 6

I'm not dead!

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ

Chapter 6

Ketriana was right. Freiza didn't buy Vegeta's story about a malfunctioning pod and the prince spent a week in a rejuvenation tank because of it. Luckily this allowed him to sleep through all the worst symptoms of withdrawal but the warrior still awoke on the eighth day craving a capsule. He carefully opened his eyes, the medicinal liquid making them sting. Vegeta could barely make out a figure watching him from behind the glass. One of the numerous machines beeped, informing the doctor that the subject was awake and the liquid slowly began to drain.

Vegeta felt sick to begin with and an intense wave of nausea washed over him as his vision cleared to reveal Ilya smiling and offering him a towel. He ignored her and walked immediately over to a shelf filled with body suits and armor and began to dress.

"Well hello to you too." Ilya smirked.

"Can I never be rid of you?" Vegeta replied pulling a chest plate over his head. The ice-jin sauntered over to him and grabbed his hand. He was about to bat it away when the warrior felt a small bottle being pressed into his palm.

"Let's go someplace private," she whispered, discreetly leaving the bottle in his hand. Vegeta burned with rage but agreed if only because he had a few choice words for the woman.

When they were safely in Vegeta's room Ilya began to speak but Vegeta interrupted her.

"Whatever it is you're going say, forget it! I should have known this whole thing was a set-up. Freiza could have killed me if he had found that chip."

"Vegeta, calm down, Freiza would never kill you."

"This is a scam." Vegeta replied after regarding the woman for a moment, "What's wrong Ilya, you low on cash? The drug market isn't what it used to be?"

"You have your reasons for wanting Freiza dead, and I have mine. You think you're the only one who's tired of taking orders from that megalomaniac?"

The young prince sighed and rubbed his forehead "If I were to help you, and trust me I'm not, what exactly is it you want me to do?"

"I want you to be my second in command."

"Ha!" Vegeta scoffed.

"I mean it! You've been in this army for twelve years, you know Freiza better than most. Not to mention, you are more well-known in the galaxy then you care to recognize. People would listen to you." She paused to let her words sink in.

"Just think about it, yes?" she crooned and then turned to leave, softly humming to herself as she opened the door where Pika was standing. The two exchanged glances and Vegeta could have sworn Ilya slipped something into Pika's fist.

Pika laughed good-heartedly as he approached Vegeta and slapped him on the back as if they hadn't tried to kill each other the week before.

"Geta, good to see you up and around again!" the blonde warrior said with practiced and perfected artificial enthusiasm.

"_He wants something…" _Vegeta thought to himself. "Get the fuck out of my room Pika."

"Come on don't be like that! I was just drunk last week. Look…" Pika pointed to a large scar staring behind his left ear and continuing down to his chest. "That's from our little battle, now we both have scars from each other huh?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "_It's confirmed, he definitely wants something."_

Pika leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, "So I ah, hear your pod malfunctioned and you had to make an emergency landing on Dowaijon." he said in a concerned voice.

Vegeta looked at other warrior sharply, a look which was returned.

"I just _hate_ when that happens." Pika sneered almost sarcastically.

Pika grinned and leaned towards the prince. "I know what you were up too." He mouthed. Still grinning he backed towards the door. "It's your move," he said aloud before turning to exit.

"You have no proof!" Vegeta shot back.

Pika faced the prince smirking. "Geta, my dear friend, I don't _need_ proof. Freiza's as paranoid as they get. All I'd have to do is _whisper_ the word rebellion and no amount of time in a rejuvenation tank would bring you back to where he'd send you.

Vegeta barked out a laugh. "I don't think so Pika. You forget that _I'm_ not _you. _I don't fuck up constantly so Freiza isn't begging to a reason to kill _me_."

This seemed to hit home and the spark of mirth vanished from Pika's face.

"Hrm, yes perhaps you're right. You are Freiza's favorite warrior after all. I would need _something. _You told him you landed on Rygon and the data in your pod confirmed that. But you know, I bet it'd be easier than you think to have Mahlah hack into your pod and see where it _really_ landed. And then you'd have the joy of explaining to Freiza the amazing coincidence that you just _happened_ to crash land within five miles of Benzain."

"What is it exactly you want Pika?" Vegeta snapped, the anger steadily building inside him.

"It's quite easy… I want you to take Ilya up on her offer."

"You aren't actually taking this suicidal rebellion plan of Ilya's seriously are you?"

"Why not? It's better then sitting around here waiting for Freiza to send us to your deaths!"

"Dammit, Pika! Do you ever _think_? You'd just be trading one tyrant for another! Do you really believe that once Ilya has a hold on Freiza's armies she's just going to disband them, step down and free the galaxy?"

"WE can take care of Ilya when the time is right! Hell, we might not even have too! Ilya's nowhere near Freiza's strength and she has a lot of enemies. The only reason she hasn't been killed or arrested yet is because she's Freiza's niece! Everyone's afraid to touch her. But with him gone…"

"_We_?"

"…and Ketriana."

Vegeta threw his head back and laughed. "Yes, I can see it now. The three of us will be the new wise council of the galaxy. Let's get one thing straight, when _I_ kill Freiza, I'll do it myself and then _I _will take his place as ruler of the galaxy."

"Oh god, Geta, are you still going on about the stupid legend! There is no such thing as a super saiyan, it's just some stupid story your father told you to make you feel better when he sold you out to Freiza!"

In an instant Pika was on the ground with a swelling jaw. Vegeta towered over him shaking with rage.

"My father…" he started.

"…was a foolish coward!" Pika finished, lifting himself off the ground, "But so was mine! They were both stupid enough to believe that giving us up would stop Freiza from destroying our home planets. Didn't happen, and now we're left here paying for they're mistakes. This may be our only chance to escape Freiza. Benzain's been building up an army ever since the last rebellion failed. Ilya's close enough to Freiza to know his every move. We can do this!"

"Getting desperate aren't we, Pika?" Vegeta smirked "I really hope I'm around when Freiza finally decides to finish you off. Which I can assure you, will be very soon."

Pika finally snapped, his ki flaring up around him. "You think I don't know that! You think I don't know that my days are numbered! That the next time I screw-up Freiza's gonna kill me? I know that, Vegeta! It's so easy for you! You can do whatever you want. This could be the only chance I get! Listen, we're not friends. I know you despise me, and trust me the feeling is mutual, but we can't do this without you, and whether you want to admit it or not, you can't do it alone."

Pika's energy dropped and he turned to leave but stopped at the door.

"You should know, Ketriana tried to cover for you and ended up spending a few days in the tank beside you. Do you think Freiza will finish her off someday too?"

For some reason this comment made Vegeta burn and he had to force his ki down as Pika pressed the door panel to leave.

_OK. This chapter was kinda boring but necessary for plot set-up. The next chapter will be up soon and be much more exciting._


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ

Chapter 7

The bright training room lights glared down on Vegeta as he punched and kicked the air. It had been three days since he had awoken from the rejuvenation tank, three days since Ilya made her proposal, and he had yet to come to a decision.

He didn't need help, he didn't want help. Only HE was allowed to kill Freiza, no one else. Vegeta had practiced the scenario in his head so many times. He would kneel over Freiza's broken body and laugh as he dealt the final blow. He would savor everything about that moment; the sound of Freiza begging for mercy, the sight of the life draining from the changeling's body, the feeling of triumph and relief after he was finally dead. It would all be his, and he would not share it.

But how many more years of quiet servitude would it take before he was strong enough? The saiyan knew he was still no where near Freiza's strength, but neither was Ilya. Vegeta couldn't figure out how she planned to defeat him, which is why he still half suspected the entire plot to be some kind of trick. The female ice-jin was coming today, to meet with Freiza, and Vegeta needed to give her an answer. He decided he would eat, talk to Ketriana and then make his decision. His whole body seemed to cringe when he thought of Ketriana. It angered him to think of Freiza beating her, a reaction which only enraged him more. He knew she was a weakness, a weakness which he must eventually overcome.

Vegeta left the training rooms and headed down to the mess hall where he met up with Raditz and Nappa. Vegeta hardly ever saw them; they existed in two very different circles. Vegeta was a high ranking assassin and a member of Freiza's personal guard while Raditz and Nappa were nothing but lowly planet purgers. Vegeta didn't know why he met with them at all any more. Some deep seeded sense of inter-species comrodery.

Ketriana pulled herself from her pod, gingerly stretching her arms and cracking her neck, still groggy from cold sleep. She ran a hand threw her cropped short brown hair and trudged to the other side of the building, deciding to have a smoke before reporting in to Freiza. She lit a cigarette and closed her eyes, allowing herself to relax for a few moments. She opened her eyes and nearly jumped when Vegeta suddenly appeared next to her.

"Dammit, Vegeta don't startle me like that." She snapped clutching her chest.

Vegeta crossed his arms and got straight to the point, "Where were you?"

"Assassinating Prince Gaphnor and the rest of the Keit royal family." The warrior stated matter-of-factly, "Turns out they were involved in some rebellion plan against Freiza"

Vegeta's eyes widened. "You mean…"

"Mmm" Ketriana said as she took a long hit and then exhaled into the night sky, "Ilya's rebellion plan. What do you think she was doing at that party? Luckily there wasn't anything in the files Mahlah hacked mentioning Ilya or Benzain."

"Shit! That ice-jin bitch! Does she think Freiza is stupid? Ilya knew he was going to find out about this and she still sent me to Dowajain."

"Don't worry, Freiza just thinks you're doing drugs again… which you are, so you can always use that as an excuse if it comes down to it."

"That's comforting," he sneered.

"Has she cornered you too then? About joining her little uprising?" the older warrior asked.

"She's being careless. It will never work."

"I'm not so sure." Ketriana replied after a pause, tossing her cigarette and grinding it into the gray dirt. "I told her I was in."

Vegeta stared at her in shock.

Ketriana laughed. "Ilya was as surprised as you are."

"I thought you were supposed to be the responsible one." He answered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm tired, Vegeta. Of everything. Of being forced to risk my life just so Freiza can assimilate one more planet into his empire." She sighed and stared at the horizon, "If I'm going to die, it's going be fighting against Freiza, not for him. Speaking of which, I have to go report in. Ilya wants us all to meet tonight in cargo bay five, we can head down there after I give my report." And with that they disappeared around the corner.

Ketriana and Vegeta made their way down to the cargo bay where Vegeta usually met with Jeice.

"Have you officially joined yet?" Ketriana asked.

"No. I'll decide after I hear what Ilya has to say."

"Mm. I hope she makes it quick, I'm off again tomorrow morning."

"Already?" Vegeta asked suspiciously.

"I know, it's strange. Freiza's never sent me out again so soon."

The elevator jolted to a stop and the doors opened to reveal the cargo bay where Pika and Ilya were already waiting for them.

"Good," Ilya said as she noticed Vegeta and Ketriana approaching, "Everyone's here, we can begin."

Ilya slung a gray sack off of her shoulder and reached into it. She pulled out what appeared to be a scouter, except it was smaller and bright red.

"We'll use these to communicate," the changeling tossed one to each of them, "They operate on a closed frequency so no one will be able to intercept the transmissions."

The woman paused to gather her thoughts before continuing, "You all know why we're here so I'll get straight to the point. Twelve years ago Benzain led a rebellion against Freiza that cost all three you of your home planets. You're all that's left of your worlds, two princes and a princess. But Benzain has learned from his mistakes, he has come up with a plan the _can_ work if it is executed correctly. Unfortunately…" she paused," …I can't let you know what that plan is, not yet. Not while you're still here with Freiza and there's any chance that he could get a hold of you. If there's one thing that Freiza's good at it's getting information out of people. But don't worry, you'll all know everything soon enough."

"Then why the hell are we here? It's too dangerous meeting like this if you have nothing useful to tell us!" Vegeta barked.

"Patience, young Saiyan," Ilya replied agitatedly, "I can't tell you the entire plan, but I can tell you part of it.

Vegeta growled but decided to listen on.

"Before we even think about getting anywhere near Freiza there are nine people who need to be taken out of the picture first: the seven members of the Ginyu Force, Dodoria and Zarbon. We'll start with the Ginyu."

"Why the Ginyu first? Zarbon and especially Dodoria are much weaker? Shouldn't we start with them?" Pika asked.

"No way. They're almost never out of Freiza's sight. If they turn up dead he's going to suspect something. We need to keep this a secret operation as long as we possibly can. Sooner or later we're all going to have to disappear and start fighting this battle full time but the more of the Ginyu we can finish off before we have to make ourselves known the better." Ilya answered.

"And just how do you intend to take out any members of the Ginyu without the rest of them finding out how? They never get sent out on individual missions, they're always sent out together." Vegeta asked skeptically.

"That does present a problem. It's easy enough for me to find out where the Ginyu are being sent. What we're going to have to do is find a way to separate them, take them out one at a time, one mission at a time." Ilya replied. "Depending on the difficultly I can have soldiers from Benzain's army complete any assignments Freiza gives you. That way we can concentrate on the Ginyu. I'll find out where they're being sent next and then contact you again. There's not much we can do until then so that's all for now."

Pika and Ketriana got into the lift to leave but Vegeta stayed behind.

When the others were gone Vegeta spoke up. "Acting so soon?"

"Why wait? Now seems as good a time as any."

"I've had enough! Drop the act, Ilya. And tell me why you're really doing this or I'm out."

Ilya smiled. "Alright. I'll tell you. But in order for you to fully understand my motives there are a few things I need to explain first. You see Vegeta, Freiza is not just any ice-jin, he's _prince_ of the ice-jin and he and my father, Lord Cooler, are involved in a little competition as we speak. Their father, King Cold has given them a hundred years. One hundred years in which to enslave and conquer as many worlds as possible. At the end of the century he will look at their respective empires and decide who the heir will be. In this little game of their's anything goes, there are no rules. My father came up with the brilliant idea of having me start a rebellion. If we win, Freiza is out of the picture, and even if we lose Freiza will be forced to destroy a significant portion of his own empire. Either way, my father wins. What my father doesn't know is that once I have control of Freiza's armies…" Ilya stopped to savor the thought, "… I intend to crush his. With both Freiza and Cooler gone my grandfather will have no choice but to name _me_ the heir. You can _have_ the galaxy Vegeta… I'm after much bigger things."

"You're insane!" Vegeta sneered.

Ilya threw her head back and laughed. "Maybe so. Changelings live too long. We _all_ go a little mad after about the second century. " She walked slowly up to Vegeta and patted him lightly on the check, "But don't you worry Vegeta darling. I'll take good care of you."

She then turned, gathered her things and disappeared.

The next morning Vegeta was summoned by Freiza. He made his way grudgingly down the corridor, dreading the meeting. The last time he appeared before Freiza he ended up spending a week in a re-gen tank. He waited outside until Zarbon called him in.

Freiza was in his usual place, sitting in his strange hover chair, staring at a map of the sector displayed on the main viewing screen. He heard Vegeta enter and turned to greet him.

"Ah, Vegeta, do come in, I have special assignment for you."

Vegeta stood before the ice-jin warlord, face expressionless, praying that Freiza would not be able to tell that he was hiding a very large secret.

"I've decided to give you a chance to redeem yourself," the tyrant began.

"Sir?"

"Don't play dumb, Vegeta. You're behavior lately has been less than satisfactory to say the least. I don't know what exactly you have been doing, but I will find out, I assure you of that."

Inside, Vegeta was screaming, "_he knows_" But his exterior stayed calm and unresponsive, a feat he had perfected over the years.

"Do you really think that you can hide it from me for long? That I am not aware of _everything_ that goes on in my empire? I know that there is a rebellion being planned right now. There is always some rebellion being planned, always some group of backwater weaklings who get the ill-conceived idea into their pathetic heads that they can somehow defeat me, the all-powerful Freiza." Freiza stared at Vegeta, searching for a twitch, a cringe, anything that might reveal deception, but the Saiyan remained indifferent.

"I recently became aware of a rebellion being planned that is on a slightly bigger scale. I know that the Keit royal family was involved and all this sneaking around you've been doing has made me very, _very _suspicious. And so, I have devised a way for you to prove your loyalty to me. I know of at least one member of my personal guard that is part of this new rebellion. I have sent the warrior to the planet Syphus, you are too meet and kill said warrior and bring me back the head to prove that you have done so. You will complete this task and return in three days time or, Vegeta, you will die, and you will die slowly. Am I understood?"

The changeling's tone was cold and direct and Vegeta knew that he had meant every word. It took every once of the teenager's concentration to remain unaffected.

"Yes sir, I understand." Was all he could manage.

"Good, you'll leave immediately." Freiza said before turning back to the map of his vast empire.

Zarbon grinned as he handed Vegeta the data chip detailing his mission and an awful sense of foreboding filled the teenager.

Vegeta went directly to the launching bay. He gave the specified coordinates to a technician who programmed it into the Saiyan's pod.

It was a short journey to Syphus, just under a day at full speed. Vegeta arrived at the designated spot early. Syphus was one of Freiza's many 'labor planets', it was all factories and assembly plants where pods and scouters and such were produced. Vegeta entered an abandoned warehouse, apparently the poor sap he was supposed to kill thought he was rendezvousing with him to receive further orders. He sat and waited for his target to arrive. Eventually he dosed off and was awakened a few hours later by footsteps and the turning of a handle. Night had fallen and the warehouse was almost pitch black. Vegeta crouched behind an empty crate and readied himself to attack. Moonlight poured in through the open door and a small shadowed figure appeared. Immediately Vegeta launched himself, surprising the warrior with a powerful blow in the stomach. The other solider countered with a viscous jab to the Saiyan's ribs. The prince spun around and rammed his elbow into the other's head, sending him flying. Vegeta gathered ki in his fist as he pinned the other warrior. He pulled back, aiming for the other's neck but stopped.

Ketriana and Vegeta stared at each other, an identical shocked expression plastered on each. Minutes passed and still they did not move, Vegeta's fist still frozen above him.

"Vegeta," Ketriana finally spoke up, "What's going on?"

The Saiyan's fist flew. Ketriana cringed but relaxed a moment later to see Vegeta's arm implanted into the ground next to her head.

"THAT FUCKING BASTARD!" Vegeta screamed. He lifted himself off the ground, yanking Ketriana up roughly.

"Do you have the communicator Ilya gave you?" he spoke quickly

"Yes, but…" she answered, still confused.

"Give it to me now!" he yelled.

Ketriana quickly reached into the bag at her waist and handed the small red scouter to Vegeta. The Saiyan put the piece to his ear and activated it.

"Ilya, this is Vegeta, come in…………. Dammit you stupid bitch, answer me!"

"I'm here, I'm here, what is it?" Ilya answered threw static.

"Me and Ketriana are going to Benzain's compound , you will meet us there tomorrow."

"What? Why? I can't! I have to…"

"JUST DO IT!" Vegeta raged.

"Alright! I can be there tomorrow night, but this better be important!"

"Good. And Ilya… I'm officially in."

_Well, there you have it. There's actually a PLOT developing.. gasp_

_Thanks again for the reviews!_


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